This very first photo is what we saw as we entered Frazer Park, home of my aunt & a good part of our California family. The scene is depicting a very typical view of the Los Padres National Forrest, though with mountains such as these, nothing is typical, it's all quite spectacular.
The above scene is the San Andreas Fault, which runs through the center of town & down the entire coast of California. The San Andreas Fault is where the 2 tectonic plates of North America meet, "the earth beneath our feet". A unique strength & determination is the makeup of the folks up here. We felt it everywhere we went, along with a sincere kindness, respect & honesty, as there's no messing around when you're living so very close to the edge. We, "visitors from the east", just loved it, every, single minute!
The cover on The New Mountain Pioneer, magazine, is a painting by an immensely talented local artist, Michelle Nosco, who is founder & president of, Arts For Earth Foundation in the center of Frazer Park.
One can not help but be fascinated by this seemingly unending fault line, of our oh, so fragile earth, forever in flux.
A bridge over, well you got it, & it's not troubled water either...
The above handcrafted artwork is done by the Native People of the region.
A dessert flower, photographed by a member of the Art Foundation, which is located on the very edge of the fault line. We so enjoyed visiting with the art director & her friendly artist friends when we were downtown in Frazer Park. I visited twice, as I so connected to the spirit of what was emanated. Also, our people, working & living on the edge of time.This final photo, is most of the California Family Tree. One first cousin, & two second cousins weren't able to join us that evening, of which they were truly missed. We all met at a Macaroni Grill in the city of that famous favorite orange, Valencia.
My mother's side of the family moved to California when I was around 6 years old. In those days it really was a trip of a lifetime to go across the country, especially an entire family. Our getting together therefore has been a spattering of here & there, like shooting stars, time travelers of the galaxy. We feel very blessed to have been united once again, during our very special, 40th Wedding Anniversary, Across The Country Trip.
My mother's side of the family moved to California when I was around 6 years old. In those days it really was a trip of a lifetime to go across the country, especially an entire family. Our getting together therefore has been a spattering of here & there, like shooting stars, time travelers of the galaxy. We feel very blessed to have been united once again, during our very special, 40th Wedding Anniversary, Across The Country Trip.
Our family of 5, my parents, 2 brothers & I, all traveled to California to visit with my mother's family the summer before I was to enter the 8th grade. It was an exciting trip, & it took apx. 5 days to get there. I loved every minute of it. Because we weren't an air traveling family, as air travel would have been a fortune back in the early 60's, we took several trains. One from Connecticut to New York, then another to Chicago, & finally "the stellar", Union Pacific out, & the Santa Fe on our return, both with it's infamous observation cars. From that locale one could sit & gaze off into the natural environments of which these ancient tracks were laid out hundreds of years ago. Crossing desserts, mountains, rivers & valleys. I remember the announcement when we crossed the Continental Divide. It all was very exciting, though back then & even to now, I only finally understood better what the Continental Divide is.
We have a wonderfully diverse family out on the west coast, where everyone is "a star", & everyone is generous to the nth degree. Becoming reacquainted with my Fam.*, & meeting some extended members for the very first time, was a thrill of a lifetime, & so added to this trip. We shared with one another various elements of our lives, the good, the sad & the in between episodes of what formulates a life, & creates the persons of whom we've become. We did all this up in the high dessert, the mountains, of the beautiful & extensive state of California where a very significant branch of my family have made their lives for the past 50 years, just a breeze in the life of these Great Redwoods.
We humans are fragile too, as we are part of nature, & we make it way too complicated. The Redwoods have stood a test of time, standing tall, & taller still, doing no more than being who they are. It is us, we, who have not been passing the test. Though we bear wittiness as we pass through this time, we often make choices that endanger the well being of all, that are innocent, in this incredibly, beautiful land-- "From sea to shinning sea".
Please, "help me God." Please help us all, & may the creatures & the citizens of the Gulf be granted health & peace, for all of time.
*Amen*
Post Script:
{When I fully unpack & get myself organized, I will go through all my paperwork & publications & fill in important aspects of the Art Foundation, of which was so interesting, & here it is added on 7/7/10, Arts For Earth Foundation, phone #800-511-6545/661-803-7744
email:[ArtsForEarth.org] 37112 Adams Trail, Frazer Park, Ca. 93225
Arts For Earth Foundation is a nonprofit organization "turning passion into compassion"
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